Submitted
2025 Global Climate Challenge

Hydrodynamic Oscillator

Team Leader
Lydur Thorgeirsson
To solve these challenges we've essentially developed a new way to boil water (yup!). The solution is a large scale hydrodynamic oscillator that sequentially (i) generates large volumes of low pressure steam (ii) compresses and heats it with the natural returning motion of the liquid piston (iii) ejection in a short burst - repeat. Each oscillation takes roughly three seconds....
What is the name of your organization?
Hydram Research
What is the name of your solution?
Hydrodynamic Oscillator
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
MW scale industrial waste-heat recycler dramatically increasing efficiency of data centers, chemicals and pulp-paper
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Reykjavík, Iceland
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
ISL
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Hydram is developing a novel technology that addresses two major challenges in large power-intensive industries: 1. Lost low-grade thermal energy: This is by far the largest inefficiency in most industries such as chemical manufacturing, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, and high power processes such as data centers. Typically, half of the energy required is subsequently vented to the atmosphere or poured down the drain as warm cooling water. 2. High cost of industrial thermal energy (steam generation): Generating the vast amounts of steam required for modern industrial processes is a significant part of operating expenses of these firms due to the costs of gas, coal, and electricity.
What is your solution?
To solve these challenges we've essentially developed a new way to boil water (yup!). The solution is a large scale hydrodynamic oscillator that sequentially (i) generates large volumes of low pressure steam (ii) compresses and heats it with the natural returning motion of the liquid piston (iii) ejection in a short burst - repeat. Each oscillation takes roughly three seconds. High impact cleantech-deeptech that replaces hydrocarbons, no refrigerants or rare-earth. From a very high-level perspective, our solution can be likened to an industrial high-temperature heat pump, as it transforms low-grade waste heat into usable steam (but uses a different method)
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Our first product serves large industrial users and/or emitters of thermal energy. Currently forming our go-to-market strategy but most likely large chemical companies (plastics, ammonia, methanol etc.) or data centers which are basically just big ovens with 99% of the electricity to the computers being converted to heat. Our solution will soon recycle that thermal energy back to usable energy at previously unheard of efficiency (COP). Later we'll look at other markets such as residential heating, enhanced geothermal etc.
Solution Team:
Lydur Thorgeirsson
Lydur Thorgeirsson
CEO